Basilica of San Simpliciano
In 1176 a legend spread that martyrs buried here flew as doves to Milan's war wagon at the Battle of Legnano, promising victory against Barbarossa's army.
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Commissioned by St Ambrose in the 4th century on a former pagan cemetery, this is the second-oldest known Latin-cross church. The Romanesque exterior dates to the 12th–13th century but wraps original walls still standing 22 meters high. A 16th-century Spanish governor removed 25 meters from the bell tower; in 1927 stained-glass windows depicting the Battle of Legnano were added.
What to look for
- 1927 stained-glass windows inside depicting the Battle of Legnano
- Arcades above the façade portals — they indicate where an ancient portico once stood, now disappeared
- The shortened bell tower, cut by 25 meters on orders of Spanish governor Ferrante Gonzaga
Located in central Milan; the body of Peter of Verona (later St Peter Martyr) lay in state here the night of 6–7 April 1252 after his assassination, drawing large crowds and sparking his cult.
Basilica of San Simpliciano is one of 35 sights worth the detour in Milan, all bundled offline in Voyage GO — download the Milan pack and it sits on your map with no signal, filling your travel passport the moment you walk past.
More to see in Milan
- San Siro — Giuseppe Meazza StadiumTwo rival clubs, one ground: the 75,817-seat arena where Milan's football fault line runs.
- Milan Cathedral (Duomo di Milano)Construction started in 1386 and the final details were finished in 1965 — the city couldn't stop adding to it.
- La ScalaThe gallery gods who booed tenor Roberto Alagna off stage mid-Aida in 2006 still haunt the loggione — the cheapest seats in opera's most feared house.
- Santa Maria delle GrazieThe wall Leonardo painted on was sand-bagged against Allied bombs in 1943 — and held.
- Sforza CastleLeonardo da Vinci painted the ceiling here. Bramante did the walls down the hall.
- Galleria Vittorio Emanuele IIThe direct ancestor of every enclosed shopping mall on earth — and there is still a worn hole in the floor where Milanese spin a heel for luck.